by David Isaac
The Red Cross and United Nations are actively helping the Palestinian Authority to assert sovereignty over parts of Israel's capital, according to Israeli NGO Regavim.
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Praying together: Thousands of Jews celebrate Jerusalem Day at the Western Wall, June 5, 2024. Photo by Troy Osher Fritzhand. |
The Palestinian Authority has been quietly establishing a parallel governance structure in Jerusalem for over a decade, in direct violation of the Oslo Accords, according to a report released July 10 by an Israeli non-governmental organization.
The P.A.’s Jerusalem Affairs Ministry functions as the authority’s official arm in Israel’s capital and operates with an annual budget of tens of millions of shekels. One of the ministry’s primary activities is providing financial compensation to Arabs penalized for violating Israeli construction regulations in the eastern part of the city.
These payouts amount to approximately $15,000 per housing unit for individuals whose illegally built structures were demolished following Israeli court orders, according to the report by Regavim, an Israeli organization that monitors land and sovereignty issues.
In some instances, the P.A. funds the illegal construction from the outset, the report noted.
“The State of Israel enforces the law only sporadically and fails to act systematically or strategically to counter Palestinian plans. As a result, where Israel does not assert control, the P.A. fills the vacuum, establishing itself as the de facto governing authority,” according to Meir Deutsch, director general of Regavim.
“The result is the quiet but consistent loss of Israeli governance, the erosion of Israeli sovereignty, and the entrenchment of de facto Palestinian Authority sovereignty,” he added.
According to official P.A. and United Nations data, at least 35 million shekels (approximately $10.5 million) has been distributed over the past five years through this compensation mechanism, excluding additional expenses for legal support, planning and advocacy work.
“On top of the cash payouts, the P.A. provides legal counsel to cover all the fees for dragging appeals against demolition through the courts for years on end,” Naomi Kahn, director of the International Division at Regavim, told JNS.
A network of professionals, including lawyers, engineers and architects, operates through P.A.-affiliated organizations, offering legal representation to illegal builders in courts and planning committees. These professionals work in full coordination with the P.A.’s Jerusalem Affairs Ministry.
The P.A. is actively supported in its efforts by the International Red Cross and U.N. agencies, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to Kahn, the Red Cross visits demolition sites, assesses the damage and assists illegal builders in completing the necessary paperwork to apply for compensation. The U.N. provides the funding. “They choke the entire Israeli legal system with appeals, countersuits and so on,” said Kahn.
“Instead of holding the P.A. accountable for its obligations under international law, the United Nations has been complicit in violating the law—not just in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, but also in Jerusalem,” Kahn added.
“The U.N. and the European Union have been allowed for far too long to trample Israel’s rights, make a mockery of international law, use Arab residents of the region as pawns in their anti-Israel agenda, and fuel confrontation, conflict and death,” she continued.
Kahn recommended that, as a first step, Israel deduct the amount the P.A. provides in “compensation” to illegal builders in Jerusalem from the taxes it collects on behalf of Ramallah.
David Isaac
Source: https://www.jns.org/pa-funds-illegal-building-in-jerusalem-as-part-of-bid-to-seize-capital/
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